Registering mechanism



Oct. 19, 1943. H. N. Buss.

REGISTERING MECHANISM.

Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 19, 1943. H. N. BLISS 2,332,198

REGISTERING MECHANISM Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 HARVfX M5005 Oct 1943- H. N. Buss 2,332,198

REGISTERING MECHANISM Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 19, 1943. H. N. BLISS REGISTERING MECHANISM Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 H. N. BLISS REGISTERING MECHANISM Oct. 19, 1943.

Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 19, 1943. H. N. BLISS REGISTERING MECHANISM Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 AT TOFNEYJ Oct. 19, 1943. H. N. BLISS REGISTERING MECHANISM Original Filed May 23, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 NQPIS A T TORNEYS Patented Oct. 19, 1943 REGISTERING MECHANISM Harvey N. Bliss, Windsor, Conn assignor to Veeder-Root Incorporated, Hartford. Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application May 23, 1940, Serial No.

336,706. Divided and this application November 20, 1940, Serial No. 366,343

13 Claims.

The present application is a divisional of my copending application Serial No. 336,706, filed May 23, 1940.

The present invention relates to registering or counting apparatus and has particular relation to a mechanism including means for registering the total amount or number of units of material dispensed and means for simultaneously registering the total cost of the units dispensed. In the present instance, the mechanism is shown as being adaptable for use with apparatus for dispensing gasoline or other fluids and wherein it is desired to simultaneously register and indicate both the number of units dispensed and the cost thereof.

An object of the present invention is an apparatus of thistype wherein the, counters are of improved construction and utilize a transfer mechanism whereby the step by step advance of the wheels .of higher order is controlled through means driven synchronously with and in direct relation to the wheel of lowest order.

Another object is an apparatus of this type wherein a plurality of counters are utilized and wherein the step by step advance of the wheels of higher order of all of the counters is controlled through means driven synchronously with and in directrelation to the wheel of lowest order. x

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus of this type wherein the number of parts required is substantially less than the number of parts heretofore required in like apparatus and wherein substantially all of the'pa'rts may be metal stampings, thus greatly reducing the manufacturing costs.

,A still further object is to provide an improved registering or counting mechanism of the aboveindicated type including resetting mechanism and wherein the resetting operations may be easily and quickly effected and the entire mechanism being characterizedby its compactness in arrangement, simplicity inoperation, and dependability and reliability in service and performance.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings 1' Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the reg-- istering mechanism embodying the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view through the center line of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an end view with the front supporting frame removed to show the transfer mechanism and with the parts in position during the resetting operation;

Fig. 5 is an end View showing the means for disconnecting the counters from the drive means therefor;

Fig. 6 is an end view looking from the back of the mechanism and with parts removed to show details of construction;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View through one of the counters to show details of construction;

Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof one of the counter wheels;

Fig. 9 is a more or less diagrammatic perspective view showing the transfer mechanism; and

Fig. 10 is a more or less diagrammatic perspective view showing an alternative transfer mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the mechanism includes a front frame plate It and a rear frame plate l2 stamped from any suitable metal and secured together in spaced relation by a plurality of tie rods M. Supported by the frame plates are a plurality of counters, generally designated as A, B, C, and D; the counters A and B being adapted to indicate the cost of material dispensed and the counters C and D the amount of material dispensed.

Each counter includes, in the embodiment illustrated, three numeral wheels, and referring specifically to counter A, it comprises a numeral wheel 5a of lowest order and a plurality of numeral wheels 18a and 28a of successively higher order. Each of the numeral wheels has indicia on its periphery from 0 to 9; the lowest order wheel Ilia designating units, the wheel liia tons, and the wheel 20a; hundreds. The numeral wheels are mounted for free rotation on a shaft 22a journalled in bushings 24 secured in the frame members I!) and i2 and held against longitudinal movement by collars 2G pinned thereon adjacent the ends of the shaft.

The counters B, C, and D are of lik construction, except when otherwise noted, and the parts corresponding to the parts of counter A have been given a similar number with a small letter sufiix corresponding to the capital letter designating the counters. As the counters C and D are used to designate the amount of material dispensed, the lowest order wheel is graduated to show tenths, the second order wheel units, and the highest order wheel tens.

To properly arrange the counters, the shafts 22a and 22b are spaced in an upper horizontal plane, and the shafts 22c and 22d are spaced in a lower horizontal plane and respectively in vertical alignment with the shafts 22a and 22b, thus positioning a cost and material counter to each side of the mechanism, whereby the cost and the amount of the material dispensed may be simultaneously read through openings provided in the side walls of a usual enclosing casing (not shown) To drive the counters, there is supported between the frame plates an upper drive shaft 23- located in horizontal alignment with and midway between the cost counter shafts 22a and 22b, and below the shaft 28 a second drive shaft 38 is similarly arranged relative to the material counter shafts 22c and 22:1. The driveshaft 28 i 'connected to a variator (not shown) as, for example, by having pinned thereon a bevel gear 32, which gear meshes with a bevel pinion 34 carried on the upper end of a shaft 86 .operatively connected to the variator in any suitable way. In like manner, the drive shaft 38 has pinned thereon a bevel gear 38 having in mesh therewith a bevel pinion 48 carried on the upper end of a shaft 42 operatively connected in any suitable way to the meter (not shown).

Upon rotation of the drive shafts, means are provided for transferring their rotation to the counters aligned therewith, and as the means for accomplishing this and the means for resetting the counters are duplicated in both the cost and amount counters, the description of these parts will, except where otherwise indicated, relate to the cost counter, and like numerals will be ern-- ployed with like parts of the amount counters,

except that the numerals associated with the parts of the amount counters are primed.

To accomplish the transfer of rotation from the drive shaft 28, it has pinned thereon an elongated collar or sleeve 44, and rotatably mounted on the sleeve is a main drive gear 46. The drive ear 46 is located on the sleeve by a positioning plate 48 secured to its back face and having its inner periphery located in a groove 58 out in the sleeve 44. The means for connecting the drive ear 46 to the drive shaft 28 comprises a clutch, generally designated by thenumeral 52, and including a female clutch member 54'secured to the front face of the drive gear 48 and a male clutch member 56 slidably mounted on th sleeve 44. The clutch members are normally maintained in clutching engagement by a spring 58 compressed between the male clutch member 58 and a rearwardly facing radial shoulder (Won the sleeve 44.

The drive gear 48 is of such size that it meshes directly with a transfer gear 62a (see Fig. 2) directly connected to the lowest order wheel of the counter A and a transfer gear 62b directly connected to the lowest order wheel of the counter B, and thus when the main drive gear 46 is clutched to the drive shaft the lowest order wheels of two oppositely disposed counters will be simultaneously and synchronously rotated in a counting direction; this direction being clockwise when viewed from the front of the mechanism.

To drive the lowest order wheel from its associated transfer gear, the order wheel comprises a cup-shaped member 64a having a discoidal face 66a and a peripheral flange 68a upon which the indicia is printed. The face 66a has a central aperture 18a for mounting same on a hub 12a rotatably carried on the supporting shaft 22a. The hub 12a extends rearwardly from the face 86a for mounting thereon the transfer gear 82a, and the latter is integrally secured to both the lowest order wheel and the hub 1211. by a plurality of studs 74a, whereby the entire assembly will continuously rotate so long as the main drive gear 46 is clutched to the main drive shaft.

As is usual, means are provided for advancing the order wheel 18a one step upon the order wheel I So completing a revolution and for advancing the order Wheel 28a one step upon the order wheel lBa completing ten revolutions. In the present instance, this step by step advance is accomplished through transfer mechanism actuated by a means driven by the main drive shaft synchronously with the rotation of the lowest order wheel; in the embodiment illustrated this means comprising a cam generally designated as 15 and comprising complementary cam members 16 and 18. For convenience in manufacture, the cam members are shown as mounted on the hub 12a of the lowest order wheel Ma and secured by the studs 14a for simultaneous rotation with the transfer gear 82a and numeral wheel lBa.

To utilize the cam I5 for advancing the wheels of higher order, there is associated therewith a transfer lever 88 including a vertically extending long arm 82 having a follower 84 positioned intermediate of its ends and in contact with the cam member 15 and a horizontally extending short arm 86 having a follower 88 at its outer end contacting the cam member 18. The transfer lever 88 is pivoted on a stud 88 extending from the front frame member [8 and of such length that the transfer lever is positioned with the followers 84 and 88 in engagement with their associated cams.

The cam member 16 also has a peripheral incline 92 so located relative to the lowest order wheel I6a that when the numeral 9 of the latter is visible the low point of the incline will contact the follower 84 of the transfer lever, and when the numeral 0 of the lowest order is visible the follower will have reached the top of the incline and pivoted the transfer lever clockwise to the dotted position indicated in Fig. 9. The cam member 78 is constructed in like manner to the cam member 16, but is complementary thereto, and the corresponding incline 92a is advanced sufficiently to enable the follower 88 to always maintain the transfer lever positioned with the follower 84 in engagement with the cam member 16. Obviously a single cam could be used, but the construction shown is advantageous in that the cam members may readily be like metal stamping and merely mounted in complementary positions to obtain the results desired.

To transfer the movement of the transfer lever 83 to the higher order wheels, there is connected thereto means, generally designated by the numeral 94, for advancing the higher order wheels |8a and 28a of the counter A and means, generally designated by the numeral 98, for advancing the higher order wheels lab and 28b of the counter B. Referring initially to the means 84, it includes a link 88 pivoted at'its respective ends to the arm 82 of the transfer lever 88 and the end of a crank arm I88, depending from and pinned to a transfer shaft I82 journalled in the frame plates [8 and 12. Also pinned to the shaft M2 is a second arm I04 of like construction to the arm I and so spaced therefrom as to lie in a verticalplane extending centrally between the order wheels Ifla and a. The lower end of arm I04 has pivoted thereon a laterally extending transfer arm I06 carrying on its free end a pair of spaced fingers I08 and H0 located between and respectively adjacent the order wheels Ito and 20a. The outer end of finger I00 is bent downwardly to provide a long pawl II2 engaging a ratchet I I4a secured to the order wheel I80 whenever the counter is operating in a counting direction, and the finger H0 is bent downwardly to provide a short pawl II6 engageable at predetermined intervals when the counter is operating in a counting direction with a ratchet I Iaa secured to the order wheel 20a.

The engagement of the short pawl H6 with the ratchet IIIIa is controlled by the movement I of the order Wheel I8a by providing the ratchet II4a with nine shallow teeth and one deep tooth, designated by the numeral I20. With this construction, when the long pawl II2 of the transfer arm I06 is positioned in any of the nine shallow teeth of the ratchet do, the short pawl IIB will be raised out of contact with the ratchet II8a, the teeth of which are all of like depth to the nineshallow teeth of the ratchet I [4a. However, when the deep tooth I20 of the ratchet I I45 aligns with the long pawl I I2, the pawl will then drop a sufficient distance to position the short pawl II6 behind one of the teeth of the ratchet ma, this occurring when the numeral 9 of the order Wheel I8a is visible, whereupon both Wheels Will then be simultaneously advanced one step.

As it is essential that the order Wheels will not overthow, means are provided for preventing this from occurring. For this purpose the transfer arm I06 carries on its outer end a transverse stop I22 formed integrally therewith and supported by a pair of spaced fingers I24 and I26 extending outwardly from the base of the pawls Illand US.

To cooperate with the stop I22, each wheel of higher order also has secured on its discoidal face a retainer plate I28 having ten laterally extending teeth I30 each having a leading edge I3I and trailing edge I33 with respect to the direction of counting rotation. As seen in Fig. 6, when the transfer arm I06 is at rest with the transfer teeth thereof in engagement with the ratchets, the stop I22 is positioned out of the rotative path of teeth I30. Upon reciprocation of the transfer arm the stop I22 will be carried into the rotative path of the leading edge I3! of a retainer tooth I 30, and when the arm reaches the extent of its reciprocating motion the next succeeding retainer tooth I30 will abut the stop I22 and prevent further rotation of the wheel.

Referring now to the means 96 for advancing the higher order wheels I01) and 26b upon rotation of the lowest order wheel of the counter A, the transfer lever 80 has pivoted to the upper end of the long arm 82 a transfer arm I32; the other end of the transfer arm terminating in spaced fingers I34 and I36 positioned between the order wheels I01) and 20b. The outer end of the finger I34 is bent upwardly to provide a long pawl I38 engaging the ratchet |I4b of the order wheel I8b, and the outer end of the finger I36 is provided with a short pawl I40 engageable with the teeth of the ratchet lI8b of the order wheel 201). As indicated, this construction is substantially similar to the construction of the arm I06, except that the pawls are turned upwardly, for upon reciprocation of same the ratchets are pushed instead of being pulled. The arm I32'also includes a stop I42 corresponding to the stop I22 of the arm I06, but is positioned intermediate of the ends of the pawl and movable into the rotative path of the retainer teeth when the pawl is reciprocated to advance the order wheels.

It is necessary to also provide means for prcventing a. reverse rotation of the order wheels as the pawls I06 and I32 are reversely reciprocated following an advance thereof, and this is attained by by associating with each wheel of higher order a retainer pawl I44 also adapted to cooperate with the teeth I30 of the order wheel retainer plate I28. To obtain this cooperation, the retainer pawl comprises an arm I46 pivotally mounted at one end on the tie rod I4 and upwardly at its other end to provide a shoulder I48. The arm I46 is of such length that it will overlie one of the retainer teeth I30 and position the shoulder I48 as a stop behind the trailing edge I33 of the next retainer tooth I30 in a counting direction. When the order wheel is ad vanced, the retainer stop underlying the arm I46 will lift same until the shoulder I48 is cleared, whereupon the retainer pawl will again drop into retaining position.

Briefly summarizing the counting operation: upon rotation of the drive shaft 28 the gear will rotate simultaneously therewith and cause synchronous rotation of the lowest order wheels I61: and I6?) and of the transfer actuating means-namely, the cam I5. When the numeral 9 of each of these wheels is visible, the incline 82 of the cam member I6 will engage the follower 84 and pivot transfer lever 80 in a clockwise direction to reciprocate the transfer arms I05 and I32 to the dotted lines indicated in Fig. 9, and advance the next highest order wheel one step. Simultaneously, the stops I22 and I42 will move into the path of the order wheel retainer teeth and prevent overthrow thereof. Upon reverse reciprocation of the arms I06 and I32, reverse rotation of the order wheels is prevented by the retainer pawls I44. When the higher order Wheels I8a and I8b are so positioned that the numeral 9 is visible, the long transfer pawls will drop into the deep notches of the respective ratchets and engage the short pawls with the next wheel, and upon reciprocation of the transfer arms all the highest order wheels will be advanced one step.

As it is desirable that the higher order wheels will not be advanced with a sudden movement, means are provided for giving the transfer mechanism a harmonious motion. To do this, the incline 92 of the transfer means actuating cam member I6 is so designed as to provide a long gradual rise 93 and a fairly sudden rise 95, and

in this manner the pivotal movement of the transfer lever will start at an extremely slow rate and gradually increase as the incline passes over the pawl. In this way it is possible to start the rotation of the higher order wheels prior to the full showing of the numeral 9 of the lowest order wheel. However, the motion of the next higher order wheel will be so slow as not to be noticeable, but will gradually increase in speed so that upon continued rotation it will catch up with the lowest numeral wheel, whereby the two proper numerals will be simultaneously displayed. In this manner, the higher order wheels are not rotated with sudden motion, thus substantially lessening the possibility of overthrow.

Although the ratchets and retainer plates associated with the order wheels have been shown as separate parts, they could be readily stamped from the discoidal faces of the wheels, thus further adding to the simplicity and economy of the mechanism. In like manner, with the exception of the various transfer shafts, practically all of the parts heretofore described comprise metal stampings. A further advantage of the present structure is that the order wheels could be molded from plastic material, and if this were done the cam 15 could be molded directly on the lowest order wheel and the ratchet teeth and retainer teeth molded directly on the higher order wheels.

Referring to the resetting means, there is provided a centrally located reset shaft I50 journalled in the frame members in like manner to the counter supporting shafts. Upon rotation of the reset shaft it operates means for releasing the transfer pawls from the order wheels, releasing the retainer pawls from the order wheels, clutching the order wheels to their counter shafts, breaking the clutching engagement between the drive shafts and the counters, and thereafter rotating the order wheels and transfer actuating means to zero position. To accomplish these various steps, the reset shaft I50 has pinned thereon a reset cam I52 having a peripheral notch I54, which, when the counters are in zero position, lags behind approximately thirty-seven degrees. Positioned in the notch I54 of the reset cam is a follower I56 carried on the end of a crank arm I58 extending from and pinned to a control shaft I60 journalled in the frame members. The crank arm I58 is normally urged towards rotation in a clockwise direction by a spring I62 having one end connected to the arm and the other to the frame member, and this rotation also tends to rotate the reset shaft in counterclockwise direction.

To limit this rotation of the arm I58 and the reset shaft, the control shaft I60 alsocarries a non-back-up lever I64 which engages the periphery of a non-back-up cam I66 carried on the hub of the reset cam I52. The non-back-up cam includes a reverse facing shoulder I68 engaging A the end of the no-n-back-up lever I64 when the reset cam is at zero position, and a second reverse facing shoulder I trailing the shoulder I68 and engageable with the nonback-up lever I64 after the reset shaft has been rotated to lift follower IES out of the notch I54 and onto the periphery of the reset cam and thereafter necessitating a full rotation in a reset direction.

b on the lifting of follower I56 out of the notch, the arm i350 and control shaft I60 will both be rotated in a counterclockwise direction. When this occurs, the shaft it!) will also rotate a pair of crank arms I12 pinned thereon at one end and pivotally and slidably connected at their opposite ends to spaced actuating slides I14 positioned in vertical alignment and in a plane midway between the two higher order wheels of each counter. For mounting the slides, there is out therein slots I16, I18, and I80 through which the drive shafts 28 and 30 and the reset shaft extend; the top and bottom of the slots acting as stops to limit the vertical movement thereof. Upon the slides being raised vertically, they function to release the transfer pawls and retainer pawls from their ratchets and simultaneously clutch the order wheels to the counter shafts, positioning the parts as indicated in Fig.

4. To release the pawls, the slides have struck out laterally extending tongues I82 engageable beneath the transfer arms I06 and I32 for lifting same out of contact with their associated ratchets. As the transfer arms are raised, they in turn engage depending tongues I84 provided on each of the retaining pawls I44, thus lifting same from behind the retainer stops I30, whereby the order wheels will be free to rotate on their counter shafts.

To clutch the order wheels to their respective counter shafts, the slides also actuate four levers I86, one associated with each counter. As seen in Fig. 4, one end of each lever I86 is slidably and pivotally mounted on a slide and the other end I88 is pivotally mounted on the counter shaft intermediate of the two higher order wheels of the counter with which it is associated. As the slide is raised, the lever I86 will be rotated to slightly rotate a pair of oppositely disposed cams 690 provided on the pivoted end I88 of the lever I86; these cams merely being detents provided in the lever when the same is stamped out.

To cooperate with the cams I90, there is also arranged between each pair of higher order wheels a vertically arranged spacer I92 provided with apertures alignable with the counter shafts to permit its mounting thereon and extending above and below the shafts and between the pawl arm transfer fingers to function as guides therefor. Thespacer I62 includes a pair of cams I534 complementary to the cams I and so positioned relative thereto that upon rotation of the lever I86 the cams I80 will rid onto the cams I94. When this occurs, the spacer I92 and the inner end I88 of the lever I86 will spread apart and each will engage against a friction spring I96 keyed to the counter supporting shaft so as to rotate therewith but be slidable thereon. As seen in Fig. 8, tne spring I96 includes a central body portion I91 and a plurality of fingers I88 bent out of the plane of the body portion to abut against the discoidal face of the order wheel with which it is associated. When pressure is applied to the body portions, the fingers will frictionally engage against the wheel and clutch it to the counter shaft for rotation therewith, although permitting slippage if the frictional force is overcome. Simultaneously, the intermediate order wheel will also be moved longitudinally of the counter shaft, and the forward end of its hub will compress a friction spring I96 associated with the drive gear of the lowest order wheel (see Fig. 7) to clutch it to the counter shaft, whereby upon rotation of the counter shaft all the wheels may reset to zero.

To simultaneously disconnect the drive gears 46 and 46' from the drive shafts, there is slidably mounted on the reset shaft I50 a yoke 200 having its top and bottom ends positioned in a collar 202 provided on each of the male members of the clutches 52. To slide the yoke 200 longitudinally of the reset shaft and thus break the main drive clutches, there is associated therewith one end 204 of a toggle link 2063, which end is provided with cams 208 normally aligned with and positioned in a vertical groove M0 in the yoke 200. The end 204 of the toggle link 206 is maintained in proper position by a collar 2I2 pinned to the reset shaft I50 rearwardly of the link.

To actuate the link 206, it is connected through a second toggle link 2I4 to the control shaft I60, and upon rotation of the latter the toggle will move from its normal position indioated full lines in Fig. '5 to the broken line position to rotate 'the cams -2II8 out of the yoke groove '2I0 onto the face of the yoke, sliding the latter longitudinally of the reset shaft and breaking the clutches between the drive shafts and the drive gears.

All of the foregoing occurs as the reset cam I52 is rotated from the position indicated in Fig. 1 to the position indicated in Fig. 4, and there after the resetting rotation of the counter wheel occurs. To accomplish this resetting, the shaft I50 extends forwardly of the frame plate I and has mounted'onits outer end a lever 216 cm gagea'ble with a stud 2I8 mounted on the face of a main reset gear 220. The main reset gear is rotatably mounted on a hub 222 pinned to the lever 2I6 and is normally held stationary by friction means including a plate 224 having a depending finger 226 pinned to the frame plate I3. Rearwardly of the plate 224 is a friction spring 228 of like construction to the frictionspring I96 and normally held under compression by a securing washer 230 seated in a groove in the hub 222. There may also be positioned between the spring 228 and plate 224 a friction washer 232 and-a like friction washer positioned between the plate 224 and the rear face of the main reset gear 220.

The reset gear 220 simultaneously meshes with a secondary reset gear 234 pinned on the forward endof each of the counter supporting shafts. and thus upon rotation of the main reset gear all of the counter shafts will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, and as the order wheels have been previously clutched to the counter shafts, they will be simultaneously rotated towards zero position and the transfer actuating means rotated simultaneously with the lowest order wheel. As this rotation is in a direction opposite to the counting direction and independent of any movement of the drive means, backlash is eliminated.

To assure accurate zero setting, each higher order wheel retainer plate I28 includes one stop 236 having a trailing edge I31 at a greater radial distancefrom the center of the wheel than thosevof the remaining -stops I30. This stop is so located that when zero becomes visible the stop will engage the stop shoulder I48 of the retaining pawls I44; these pawls having only been raised sufficiently to permit the other retainer stops to clear same upon the resetting operation. When so held, the friction clutch will slip and the counter shaft rotate independently of the order wheel.

To stop the lowest order wheels at zero, the main drivejgears 46 and 46' are provided with a stud 238 which engages the vertical edge 239 of a stop 240 pivotally mounted on the transfer pawl oscillating shaft I02. As seen in Fig. 3, the stop 2 40 may comprise a U-shaped stamping which overlies the periphery of the main drive ear and has at its pivoted end a side facing shoulder 242 which will-abut against the tie rod I4 and limit the pivoting of the stop in a counterclockwise direction, and a -downwardly facing shoulder 244 which will limit the pivoting in a clockwise direction. Obviously as the main drive gear moves in a counting direction the stud 238 will ride beneath the stop 240 and simply lift it out of its path of ,movement, and the stop will drop by gravity when the stud has cleared same.

To assure that all of the wheels will be rotated to zero position, the gear ratio between the main reset gear 220 and the secondarygcars 2 :14 is such that the latter will be rotated approximate'ly one and one-quarter times for each revolution of the mainreset gear. Thus should any slippage occur between the order wheels and the counter shafts, the extra extent of movement will compensate for same.

Upon completing a revolution of the reset shaft, the follower I56 of the arm I58 will again be drawn by the tension of spring I62 into the notch I54 to reverse the rotation of the reset shaft through the medium of the spring I62 until the non-back-up lever I64 engages behind the non-back-up cam shoulder I68. When this occurs, the control shaft I60 will be rotated in a clockwise direction and, through its associated mechanism, will move the actuating slides downwardly and reset the various parts for counting operation.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 10, there is shown an alternative means for advancing the higher order wheels of each counter. In this embodiment, the means for advancing the ratchets II4b and IIBb of the numerals wheels Ifib and 20b of the counter 13 is similar to that shown in Fig. 9, and the parts have been similarly numbored. However, to advance the ratchets 4a and II8a of the numeral wheels [to and 20a, the pawl carrying arm I86, instead of being driven through interconnecting linkage to the lever 80, is directly driven by means rotated synchronously with the transfer gear 62b and the lowest numeral wheel Ifib of the counter B. These means include a transfer lever and cam lever of like construction to those associated with the lowest numeral wheel of the counter A and have been given like numerals.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In combination, a pair of counters each having a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order, means for synchronously driving the Wheel of lowest order for each counter in one direction during a counting operation, transfer means for the wheels of higher order, means driven in synchronism with the wheel of lowest order of each counter for operating said transfer means to effect a transfer movement of the wheels of higher order, and means for resetting all of the wheels in a direction opposite to that during counting and synchronously resetting said transfer means operating means with the resetting movement of the wheels of lowest order.

In combination, a pair of counters each hav ing a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order, means for synchronously driving the wheel of lowest order of each counter in one direction during a counting operation, releasable transfer means associated with the wheels of higher order for effecting a transfer movement of said wheels, means driven in synchronism with the wheel of lowest order of each counter for operating said transfer means, and means for releasing said transfer means from the wheels of higher order and thereafter resetting all of the wheels in a direction opposite to that during counting and synchronously resetting said trans fer actuating means with the resetting movement of the Wheels of lowest order.

3. In a counter, a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order, a rotatable drive shaft driving the wheel of lowest order, a transfer pawl for advancing each of the higher order wheels in a counting direction after a predetermined rotation of the drive shaft, means rotated synchronously with the drive shaft for effecting an operation of said transfer pawls, and reset means for simultaneously resetting the wheels and said transfer pawl actuating means in a direction reverse to the counting direction.

4. In a counter, a supporting shaft, a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order normally freely rotatable on said shaft, means normally unclutched for clutching said numeral wheels to the shaft, means for driving said numeral wheel of lowest order, transfer means operated synchronously with the rotation of the wheel of lowest order for advancing each of the wheels of higher order, a reset shaft, and means operative by the reset shaft for releasing said lowest order wheel from its driving means, the transfer means from the wheels of higher order, and for clutching all of said wheels to said supporting shaft.

5. In a counter, a supporting shaft, a plurality of numeral wheels freely rotatable on said shaft, clutch means normally unclutched for clutching said wheels to said shaft, drive means for advancing said wheels in a counting direction, retainer means for preventing reverse rotation of said wheels, a slidable member, means for operating said slidable member, and means operable upon the sliding of the member for releasing said driving and retainer means and clutching said wheels to their supporting shaft.

6. In a counter, a supporting shaft, a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order freely rotatable on the shaft, a drive shaft, means normally clutching the numeral wheel of lowest order to the drive shaft, transfer means for advancing each of the wheels of higher order after a predetermined rotation of the wheel of lowest order, means operated synchronously with the rotation of said lowest order wheel for advancing each of the wheels of higher order, clutch means normally unclutched for clutching each of said numeral wheels to its supporting shaft, a reset shaft, means operated upon rotation of the reset shaft for unclutching said lowest numeral wheel from the drive shaft, releasing said transfer means from the wheels of higher order, and simultaneously clutching each of said numeral wheels to said supporting shaft, and means carried by the reset shaft and said supporting shaft for thereafter rotating the supporting shaft in a reverse direction to reset said numeral wheels to zero.

7. In a counter, a supporting shaft, a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order freely rotatable on the shaft, a drive shaft, means normally clutching the numeral wheel of lowest order to the drive'shaft, transfer means for advancing each of the wheels of higher order after a predetermined rotation of the wheel of lowest order, means operated synchronously with the rotation of said lowest order wheel for advancing each of the wheels of higher order, clutch means normally unclutched for clutching each of said numeral wheels to its supporting shaft, a reset shaft, a main reset gear freely rotatable on said reset shaft, a gear carried by each of said supporting shafts meshing with said main reset shaft, means operated upon rotation of the reset shaft for initially unclutching said lowest numeral wheel from the drive shaft, releasing said trans fer means from the wheels of higher order,simultaneously clutching each of said numeral wheels to said supporting shaft, and thereafter engaging said main reset shaft for rotating said supporting shaft to reset the numeral wheels to zero, and stop means for restraining rotation of the numeral wheels upon reaching zero position.

8. In a counter of the type having a plurality of numeral wheels rotatably mounted on a supporting shaft, the combination of resetting mechanism for resetting said wheels to zero comprising a resetting shaft, friction clutch means operated by said reset shaft to clutch each of said numeral wheels to its supporting shaft upon initial rotation of the reset shaft, means thereafter operated by said reset shaft to rotate said supporting shaft, and means for reversing operation of said reset shaft when said wheels reach zero position for releasing said clutches.

9. In a counter of the type having a plurality of numeral wheels freely rotatable on a supporting shaft together with means for operating said numeral wheels and preventing reverse rotation of said wheels; the combination of resetting means comprising a reset shaft, a friction clutch associated with each of said wheels for clutching said wheel on the supporting shaft upon initial rotation of the reset shaft, means simultaneously operative upon said initial rotation for releasing said drive means and said retainer means, and means thereafter operable on further rotation of the reset shaft to rotate said supporting shaft.

10. In a counter of the type having a plurality of numeral wheels freely rotatable on a supporting shaft together with drive pawls for rotatin the wheels in one direction and retainer means for preventing reverse rotation of the wheels; the combination of resetting means ineluding a reset shaft, means operable upon rotation of said reset shaft for simultaneously releasing both said drive pawls and said retainer pawls, and means operated by said reset shaft to thereafter reset said wheels in a direction reverse to said counting direction.

11. In a counter of the type having a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order each rotatably mounted on a supporting shaft and means for driving the wheel of lowest order and transfer means for advancing each of the wheels of higher order after a predetermined rotation of the drive means and including a memher rotated synchronously with the drive means of the lowest order wheel; the combination of reset means including a reset shaft, clutch means for clutching each of said order wheels to said supporting shaft, and means simultaneously operative upon rotation of the reset shaft to operate said clutch means, disengage said drive and transfer means, and thereafter rotate said order wheels and said transfer means operating member in a resetting direction.

12. In a counter of the type having a plurality of numeral wheels of successively higher order each rotatably mounted on a supporting shaft and means for driving the wheel of lowest order and transfer means for advancing each of the wheels of higher order after a predetermined rotation of the drive means and including an operating member rotated synchronously with the drive means of the lowest order wheel; the combination of reset means including a reset shaft, and means operated by said reset shaft for simultaneously disengaging said drive and transfer means of said order wheels and thereafter rotate said order wheels and said transfer means operating member in a resetting direction.

13. In a counter, a supporting shaft, a plurality of numeral wheels loosely supported on said shaft, means for advancing the wheels of higher order in a counting direction comprising a ratchet on each of said wheels and a pawl nor- 1 wheels to zero position.

HARVEY N. BLISS. 

